For years, the story of Chinese commercial aircraft demand has been mainly about enormous growth, especially in the domestic arena, with a subplot about sizes creeping higher to mitigate shortages of airspace and skilled workers. Now things are becoming more complicated. For a start, the economy has slowed. Over the past year, the airlines have found themselves with too much capacity and even when balance is restored, the carriers will not be able to grow as fast as previously. But concurrently the authorities are promoting budget airlines, which should stimulate traffic demand. A five-year-old and growing trend to set up small local-government airlines is creating an opportunity for regional aircraft manufacturers.
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